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Aug. 11, 1931. B. E. LAMBERT 1,818,485

MENS FOR SEALING BURIAL CASES Filed Dec. 2o. 192e woantoz Patented Aug.11, 1931 PATENT OFFICE BBBNICBB. LAMBERT, on COLUMBUS, omo

' f MEANS FOB sBALI-NG BURIAL cAsBs Application flied December 2o, 1828.serial No. 327,455.

This invention relates broadly to improve- I ments in'sealing `means andis particularlyy l adapted to burial cases, caskets. or vaults, althoughthe scope `and application of the 1n- .ivention arev not, of course,ylimited to this specificffieldfof employment, as the principles of theinvention are applicable to receptacles embodying two separable sectionsemployed for many other widely diiferentuses and pur-y 'One of the'loutstanding .features of the present invcntion'liesin Jthe provision ofa seal in theform of a compound which isA care ried by the upper edge ofthe casket or receptacle and whichv at the time of sealing can be putinto a flowing state so as to automaticallyflock and `hermetically sealthe closure of the structure to be sealed.

Another important obj unit inthe form of an*y electric resistance Vwireembedded in the sealing compound carried by thelreceptacle, andk whichheating unit may bev energized by an outside source ofelectric c urrentthereby heating` and placing the com# pound'in a owing or softenedstateso thatl the depending locking web'carried'bythe lower edge'of thecoversection ofthe receptacle maybe embedded'in the compound.

Upon the subsequent'V cooling and hardening of the sealing compound, asecure union` willeXist-'between the sections ofthe recep- `tacle.4 Bytheprovision of this embedded heating unit theA sealing compound' may bevention, a portion thereof being broken laway to `disclosek underlyingstructures,

ectis to provide the 20 receptacle with a permanently carried sealinglFigureQ is an enlarged vertical sectional view takenon the line 2-2 of`Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a similar view showing a portion of the casket and its Coverin position to be applied thereto,

'Figure 41 is a'vertical sectional View takenk on the line 1C-1 ofFigure 2, f Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view disclosing moreparticularly the electrical heating unit used in connection with thepresent invention,

`Figure 6 represents a slightly modified-` form of sealing'means,

Figure 7 isla sectional view `taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6.

VReferring more `particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designatesa receptacle constructed in accordancel with the features 'a ofthepresent invention. vIn the present 'instance the receptacle hasbeenshown in the form of a burial case or casket, but, of course,

I do not limit myself to this particular a'dapr tion of the invention asthe same may be apy plicable to other iieldsfof employment. The

caseor receptaclejis` comprised broadly lof a base section 2 and aseparable cover section 3. The base section comprises the usual bottom,vertically upstanding side and end walls 5 and 6 a-nd an open top. Inthis instance the upper edges of the walls 5 and 6 are welded, braced orotherwise secured to an outwardly vcurving trim section 7, which extendsaround all'four walls of the base section. The upper "Y edge of the trimsection includes an inwardly extending, substantially flat horizontalflange 8, which forms the seat -for the cover section of the casket;yFormed in the flanges 8 of the section 7 is a continuous groove orchannel 9, extending aroundV the sides and end of the body portion ofthe casket. The groove 9 possesses in cross-section, a substantiallykeystone form, having a relatively restricted entrance slot 10 and awidenedlower portion I lThe' cover section 12 of the receptacle 1sprovided with a continuous depending web 13, which is adapted to bereceivedwithin the `groove or channel 9 and has its eXtreme lower Aendprovided with a relatively widened head 14, when embedded in the sealingcompound,

indicated'at 15, will serve to'lock the cover ,upperedgeof said spacers.

section in secured relation and in a relative position with the basesection 2.

The sealing compound is inserted in the groove 9, prior to thepositioning of the cover into which compound the web 18 is securelyembedded. In order to omit the handling of the sealing compound, whichis preferably of a bituminous material, and rtofacilitate` the sealingof the casket by the person attending this operation, the compound ispoured into the groove and allowed to coolandharden be.- fore the casketor receptacle is shipped to the person who finally seals the same.Durinfr this shipment the coversection is supported in an elevatedposition as indicated in Figure 3 of .thedraavings Witlrtheiveb 13 outofengagement Witlr the compound 115. To effect thesoftening, ofthecompound into a semiplastijcstate so that the' cover section may be puton the casket for they sealing thereof, there is embeddedin thecoinpounda Wirevor resistance element 16 `Which is supported and spaced .lfromhthe. sidesr and bottom ofthe groove 9rby,lmeans of .spacers17.formed from lcardboard liber or other nonconducting ma- The spacers17 are shaped to conform.v

terial. Witlrthe, sides 4of the. groove 9 and are; frictionally held inan uprightposition therein engaging thesides of the .groove thus .formmgarigid support for the resistance elementl... The elementl, Whichlieswithin the groovef) is positioned Withinf openings 18 provided.therefouintlie spacer elements 17 and .is ,inserted ,through slotsprovided inthe Thisedge is also cut awayas at 19 toaccommodate thedependingi web, .13` ,of .the cover section. To convey electricmirrentinto theresistanceelement 16 thereis provided inthesidewall of thecasket a plug QOfof 1the prong and socket construction with y.Whiclrtheends 21 ofthe Wire 1G are connected and may be supplied With currentfrom a convenient house circuit or from a storagebattery and led through-a conveying cable Q2. Beforev shipping or handling the casket theexposed surface of thesealing com-k pound may be painted or a stripofpaper-may` be pasted.overtheentranceto the groove to prevent thesealingcompound from running loveitlae edge of. the groove should the compound.become soft during shipment ofthe casket and beforethe cover sectionthereof isV put ,in place..` The,.paper strip could be finished orformed of a material having the color harmonizing Withthefinish of thecasket thus addingto.the.appearance and concealing. the compound fronrview. Asthe paper is eas-, ily,punctured.,fby` the: locking AWeb 13,there is `no, need of removingthe same before seal# ,ingthe casket..

In operation it .will beunderstood that the coversection-.isplaced ,onithe base section with theWeb-l?) resting on top ofthe hardened sealingvcompound which has been pres Niously inserted into the groove 9. rihenby.

applying electric current to the heating element the compound becomessoftened and the cover section, due to its weight, will Travitate untilthe same is resting upon the `flange 8 of the body section, thusembedding the web 13 into the compound 15. The current is then shut ofi'by disconnecting the plug 2O from .thecable 22. The compoundis thenallowed to cool and harden, whereby, due to the peculiar formation ofthe groove 9 and theweb 13, a locking. condition is establishedpreventing undue separation of the two sections of the receptacle.Moreover, due to the presence of the sealing compound, the interior ofthe receptacle Will be, in effect, hermetically. sealed, the elementsIexcluded and thecontents of theV receptacle indefinitely preserved. Iffor any reason it is desired t0 open the receptacle after theA same hasbeen l sealed, it is only necessary to apply electric current so as toheat or .softeny the compound,y thereby breaking the locking. hold ofthe seal.

In the modified .form `of .the invention; disclosed in Figures 6. and 7,thecompound 15a. With the heating element 16a, embedded therein, maybemolded into. .separable sec.- tions .Which may be united and laid intothe. groove.9 of the casket and assembled therein.I As the compound isin more or less of a semi. plastic state, the same may be. bent, to ,fitaround n the corners of` the .groove 9.. The,y heating. element 16a` ofeach section is aligned to interfit with one another through the slip.joint connection 23, formedv at each end of the sections.

It isobvious thatother modifications may be employed Without departingfrom the principles of the invention as above set forth, and I thereforedo notlimitinyself to such structural details, except. as they may bespecifically included in the following claims.

That is .claimed is:

1. In a receptaclev of the class described, a. base, having a continuousgroove in its up-. per surface, acover provided with a continu,-

, ons ,depending webl adaptedto enter said..

groove, asealing, compound in the` groove arlength,l and an electricheating element supported by said spacers.

2. In a receptacle of the.classdescribed, a. base section having acontinuous groove in its upper surface, a cover section provided with acontinuous depending web on its under surface adapted to enter saidgroove, a sealing compound in the groove arranged to embed said Web,spacers positioned Within saidjl groove and formed from insulatingmaterial, said spacers are shaped to conform With the formation of saidgroove and are frictionally held in an `upright position, and anelectric resistance. element carried by said spacers and rigidlyL heldWithin a recess formed therein, the ends ofthe resistanceelement lli).

has an electric connection With the exterior of the receptacle.

3. In 2L receptacle of theclass described, a base having a continuousgroove in its upper surface, a cover provided Ywith a continuousdependingweh adapted to enter said groove, a sealing compound in thegroove arranged to embed said Web, an electric heating elementpositioned in said groove and embedded Within said compound, and meansfor insulatively supporting said element from the Walls of said groove.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

BERNICE E. LAMBERT.

